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We need to reconsider the Geneva Convention...

OK, flowing off from the death penalty thread, I have been doing some googling and I found a potential problem.

There are a few categories of people on the battle field.

Soldiers are people who wear uniforms. Everyone know who they are and if you mess with them, they can kill you.

Mercenaries are not soldiers and they are not supposed to be killing people. Even so, if you are waiting on line for something in Iraq, the dude ahead of you who has battle fatigues on is probably someone that you do not want to piss off.

Unlawful combatants are people who are fighting but not bothering to wear uniforms.

With that much of a background, what about the people who operate predator drones or other robotic equipment? Granted, the predator is currently only operated from military bases halfway around the world. Thus one would assume that soldiers wear uniforms to work. Even so, there is potential for “private military contractors” to have teleoperated gear.

So the question that comes to mind is this:

If it is operated by some guy who wears jeans and a t-shirt to work then, well sure, he is a mercenary. That much is no different than if he was a merc out in the field. However, is he an unlawful combatant for dressing in street clothing for a day at the office killing people half way around the world?

Is me sitting on my ass playing FPS games different from some other dude doing the same thing different because his target really bleed?

I follow what you'er saying,however, I don't think that working somewhere on a military-base with drones,allows street clothes,but I could be wrong . When it comes to government policies,contracts,protocols etc. I always seem to disagree with their assessments. If we held on to the "Laws" that we implemented at the "Nuremberg Trials" every US president since the end of WWll (under their own laws) should be hunged,don't get me started,about US policies.

You're a mercenary 4 days a week Monday to Thursday, and an unlawful combatant on casual Fridays. Except of course for Hawaiian shits Mondays every second Monday of the month, in which case you're just a douche.

"Don't seek these laws to understand. Only the mad can comprehend..." -- George Cosbuc

Well yah Ken, I you work on a military base, you wear the clothing which is appropriate for that job. So no worries there. I pretty much already said that much in my first post. However, that is not where I am going.

XE systems (the former Black Water corporation) has recently moved into the world of UAVs. Thus far, they are not armed as far as we know. However, they do have a private air force which is armed. So how far out is the possibility that I am raising

Having read the book "Blackwater:The Rise of World's most Powerful Mercenary Army" a real threat to our Democracy.When I was reading about this Eric Prince and his christian crusade against Islam,it did occur to me that we just might see a all out "War"between faiths.Eric Prince's father was a christian right-wing nut who finaced a lot of Christian idea's and he gained his wealth in Detroit,making dash boards,etc. check-out Jeremy Scahill author of "Blackwater"